The books I've read & the movies I've seen

From IMDb: “A young boy is raised within the confines of a small shed.”

Well, obviously after rereading the book I was going to go back and watch the movie again wasn’t I?

The movie is nothing short of wonderful. It’s difficult to say how much you enjoy these kinds of movies because ‘enjoy’ just isn’t the correct word to use dealing with this particular subject matter, but that doesn’t make the movie any less brilliant.

Jacob Tremblay is phenomenal as five year old Jack, who has grown up knowing nothing but Room his whole life. This kid is acting miles beyond his years in this movie, and if he continues to develop his skills and perform the way he did in “Room” he’s going to have a very long and fruitful acting career ahead of him. Brie Larson’s Academy Award for her portrayal of Ma is also well deserved; her emotional journey is delivered directly off the screen and affects everyone watching it.

As an adaptation it is done incredibly well. I don’t feel too much was cut from the book and the thoughts and emotions provoked in the book are definitely felt when watching the movie; in some cases in an even more raw state. Even though I’d seen the movie before and only read the book the previous week my heart was still thumping in my chest and I was inwardly cheering Jack on when he makes his grand escape from Room.

The moment where he manages to unroll himself in the back of Old Nick’s truck and sees the sky and the Outside for the first time is a small moment of cinematic beauty. You truly can feel Jack’s wonder at just how big and amazing the world can be, and this is testament to both the direction and Jacob Tremblay’s astounding performance.

When I was rereading the book, I was worried that watching the movie again so close after finishing would ruin it for me, but it’s safe to say that did not happen. The mother-son bond is not lost in the transition from book to screen, and the director, screenwriters and actors have done a purely fantastic job staying close to the source material. While not a movie to watch over and over again due to the nature of the harrowing subject, it is still, nonetheless, a truly wonderful piece of filmmaking.